Fence hardware



Nov. 12, 1940.

e. GUSTAFSON "FENCE HARDWARE Filed April 29, 1959 Patented Nov. 12, 1940 FENCE HARDWARE Gustaf A. Gustafson, Waukegan, 111., assignor to The Cyclone Fence Illinois Company, a corporation of Application April 29, 1939, Serial No. 270,950

4 Claims.

This invention aims to provide improvements in fence hardware peculiarly well suited for securing wire fencing to posts. Heretofor-e it has been customary, in securing chain fencing and other wire fabric to posts, to insert a stiff member throughthe interstices of the end weave of the fencing and to attach the stiff member to the post by means of bolts and nuts. Such old arrangement usually requires that the bolts -extend from the post through eyes in the stiff member, the nuts preventing withdrawal of the bolts and being screwed thereon to exert tension on the installed fencing. The chief feature of the present invention is the provision of improved means which are devoid of projections beyond the planes of the fence fabric for attaching fencing of the character described to posts, thus providing means whereby a fencing may be set up quickly and satisfactorily attached to the supports with great strength and permanency by relatively unskilled persons without the use of bolts and nuts. The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation illustrating the improved fastening means as applied to helical spring chain fencing;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section on line III--III of Figurel; and,

Figure 4 is a detail view of an attaching element shown in the other figures, illustrating in full lines the condition thereof before assembly and in dotted lines its condition just prior to final assembly.

Referring in detail to the embodiment of the invention illustrated, there is disposed around the post I a plurality of spring clips 2 comprised preferably of strap metal or the like having an appreciable degree of inherent resiliency. Each clip has a circular portion 3 to suit the size of the particular post with which it is to be associated. The ends beyond the circular portion before assembly flare or diverge outwardly, thus providing for each clip a long leg 4 and a short leg 5, the legs having respective reversely bent hook portions indicated at 6 and 1. These hook portions of the clips are designedly intended to cooperate with a specially formed channel 8 which is threaded into end loops or interstices of the fence fabric 9. This fabric is commonly tively engage the hooked portions known to those skilled in the art as chain link fence.

Each channel member 8 comprises a web portion I0, a wide flange II and a narrow flange l2, said flanges being designedly constructed and arranged for cooperation with the long leg 4 and the shorter leg 5, respectively, of the clip members 2.

In assembling or installing the fencing, the channel member 8 is inserted through the end. 10 loops of the fabric 9 and engaged with conventional pullers to properly tension the fabric and bring the flanges H and I2 of the channel memher 8 into position for engagement with the, spring clips 2 which are assembled around the u post I in such a manner that the long leg of each clip lies on the side of the channel member in juxtaposition. to the wide flange H thereof. When drawn a sufficient distance between the legs of the spring clips so that the inner extremities of the hooked portions 6 and 1 thereof will clear it, the-channel member 8 is held while the legs 4 and 5 are flexed or bent toward each other to assume a position in which the flanges are aligned with the hooked portions as indicated in Figure 4. The tension on the fabric pulling device is then released sufilciently to permit the inherent tendency of the fabric to move the channel member 8 to a position in which its flanges l I and I2 opera- 6 and 1 of the clip in the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 3. The fencing is thus securely anchored to the post.

From examination of the drawing and consideration of the disclosure it is apparent that the long and short legs of the spring clips 2 and the 3 wide and narrow flanges of the channel member 8, in combination, provide means permitting the easy engagement of the hooked ends of the clips with the channel flanges without interference. The construction and arrangement is such that the hooked ends need not be disposed in different vertical planes, which would be the case if the legs of the clip were of the same length. In fact, the improved clip having one long leg and one short leg will permit of disposing the inner extremities of the two hooks in one common vertical plane; hence the width of the space between the channel flanges need be only a trifle more than the thickness of the clip metal. Thus the assembled hooked ends of the clips and channel members can be accommodated within a very limited region defined by the opposite outer faces of the chain link fence fabric. This characteristic of the invention is apparent by observation of Figures 2 and 3 wherein it is clearly discernible that the opposite outer faces of the fence fabric are disposed in planes beyond the outermost faces of the hooked extremities of the clips which are arranged in overlapping relation with the channel member. An advantage of such an arrangement is that there are no projecting fastening devices beyond the plane of the fabric. Thus a hazard of prior fastening devices is eliminated by the novel assemblage herein claimed.

While I have described quite specifically the embodiment of the invention illustrated, it is to be understood that the drawing and description are to be interpreted in an illustrative rather than a limiting sense.

I claim:

1. A fence of the character described including a post, a clip having a portion encircling the latter, fence fabric, a channelmember interwoven therewith having flanges of dissimilar length, and arms of unequal length on said clip having hooked ends overlapping said flanges and located within the region defined by the planes of the opposite faces of fabric.

2. A fence of the character described comprising a post, chain link fence fabric, a clip having a portion engaging the post, arms of unequal length extending outwardly from the clip and terminating in hooked portions disposed within the confines of the planes defined by the opposite faces of the fabric, and amember interwoven with the fabric overlapped by said hooked extremities, said member having flanges of unequal length for engagement with said hooked extremities.

3. A fence of the character described including a post, a clip having a portion encircling the latter, chain 'link'fence fabric, a channel member interwoven therewith having flanges of dissimilar length,'arms of dissimilar length extending outwardly from said clip having respective flanges of said channel member.

GUSTAF A. GUSTAFSON. 

